RESTORATION

DIRECTOR: Yossi Madmoni - ISRAEL

An aging recluse tries to salvage his antique furniture store and solitary way of life in Restoration, a nuanced drama nominated for 12 Israeli Ophir Awards. After his longtime business partner dies, stoic Yakov Fidelman discovers his Tel Aviv workshop is near bankruptcy. When his estranged son Noah tries to sell the property from under him, Fidelman hires apprentice Anton to refurbish a neglected Steinway that could save the business. An attraction between Anton and Noah’s pregnant wife Hava complicates matters. Anchored by Sasson Gabay’s mesmerizing performance as Yakov, Madmoni’s critically acclaimed psychological study depicts a complex set of frayed...

An aging recluse tries to salvage his antique furniture store and solitary way of life in Restoration, a nuanced drama nominated for 12 Israeli Ophir Awards. After his longtime business partner dies, stoic Yakov Fidelman discovers his Tel Aviv workshop is near bankruptcy. When his estranged son Noah tries to sell the property from under him, Fidelman hires apprentice Anton to refurbish a neglected Steinway that could save the business. An attraction between Anton and Noah’s pregnant wife Hava complicates matters. Anchored by Sasson Gabay’s mesmerizing performance as Yakov, Madmoni’s critically acclaimed psychological study depicts a complex set of frayed relationships for which restoration proves an apt metaphor. (105 mins.)

Filmography: The Barbecue People (03).

Winner of the Sundance Film Festival Dramatic Screenwriting Award and Best Feature prizes at the Jerusalem and Karlovy Vary International Film Festivals.

Sponsored by the Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Northwest.

ROSE

DIRECTOR: Wojciech Smarzowski - POLAND

For many in Poland, the immediate post-World War II years were as savage and tragic as the war itself. Rose is a story about people who tried to rebuild their lives in this difficult period. It follows Tadeusz, a former Home Army fighter, who travels to the Western region of Masuria to find the wife (Rose) of one of the fallen soldiers and let her know of her husband’s death. Their mutual attraction leads them to live together, balancing the difficulties of raising a family and preserving normalcy amidst the lawless brutality of their Soviet occupiers. The people of Masuria,...

For many in Poland, the immediate post-World War II years were as savage and tragic as the war itself. Rose is a story about people who tried to rebuild their lives in this difficult period. It follows Tadeusz, a former Home Army fighter, who travels to the Western region of Masuria to find the wife (Rose) of one of the fallen soldiers and let her know of her husband’s death. Their mutual attraction leads them to live together, balancing the difficulties of raising a family and preserving normalcy amidst the lawless brutality of their Soviet occupiers. The people of Masuria, ethnic Germans now living within Poland’s borders, live in constant fear of expulsion from the lands they’ve known their whole lives. A riveting film about the need for love in times of despair, Rose shows the deep scars of war and the perseverance that will be needed to get past them. (94 mins.)

Filmography: The Wedding (04), Dark House (09).

Winner of the Best Film and Audience Awards at the Warsaw Film Festival.

Sponsored by the Polish Library Association, Portland and the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland, Los Angeles.